Paper Wings
by Sashah Anna Oosta
Summary: She is Kuchiki Rukia. Strong, noble and serious. But he is Kurosaki Ichigo. Rash, arrogant and a fool. And it seems that Fate has destined them to meet no matter how much of a distance there is between them. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Yo peeps. I just separated this from my other fan-fic, because this is really a story and not a one-shot.**

**Read. Enjoy. Review. Yes, in that exact order ;)**

**I still don't own Bleach. Yet.**

**_Is this the life that you lead,_****_  
><em>****_Or the life that's lead for you?_****_  
><em>****_Will you take the road that's been laid out before you?_****_  
><em>****_Will we cross paths somewhere else tonight?_****_  
><em>****_Somewhere else tonight..._**

**_And I can't tell if you're laughing_****_  
><em>****_Between each smile there's a tear in your eye_****_  
><em>****_There's a train leaving town in an hour_****_  
><em>****_It's not waiting for you, and neither am I_**

_**Begin Chapter One:**_

* * *

><p>"Rukia-Hime?"<p>

Kuchiki Rukia turned slightly, not bothering to turn her full attention to the attendant that kneeled before the slide of her room. Through the thick rice paper, she could see the outline of his figure - the bulky armour that all of the guards of the castle were ordered to wear at all times.

"Yes?" She answered in her perfected Kuchiki tone - the tone that her brother and mother and father before her had implemented at all times, even when speaking to one another. Her voice reminded her of the stone cold looks her brother always wore - which, try as she might, she still couldn't perfect. Her large, cobalt eyes were too wide - too kind, and too intriguing to be passed off as cold.

"Byakuya-dono wishes to have an audience with you."

Rukia winced.

"Very well," Her voice, thankfully, didn't betray her nausea, "Inform him that I will be there shortly."

The shadow nodded and left, leaving Rukia to stare at her small hands, which were clenched into fists on top of her lap. Without thinking, she cleaned off of her tea table and placed the cups and pot on the mat beside the door. A maid would soon be about to take care of it. Pausing, Rukia patted the top of head, arranged her kimono, retied her obi and twisted her long, cowlick bang back into the bun atop her head. Gracefully, she opened the slide and began to make her way down the long hallway, mentally preparing herself and clearing her throat.

Arriving at the rice paper door, Rukia sat down gracefully, taking a few extra deep breaths, before bowing and announcing herself.

"You may enter."

The even voice of her Nii-sama sent shivers down her spine, but she shook them off and entered - letting her face take on an emotionless appearance. The room was dark - lit only by a few candles - Rukia wondered why it was this way, before she glanced and saw a painting of her Nee-chan pushed far back on her Nii-sama's table - a faint attempt to hide it from view. Pity and sorrow welled up in her stomach, and she had to fight back a sad smile.

It had been two years since Hisana Nee-chan had passed away - since the brightness of her home had decreased, and she began to dread the nights, when the nightmares would come and she would know that now there was no one to comfort her in the morning with a walk in the gardens. No one to tell her to smile more - to not be so serious all the time. But, as sad as Rukia was, she couldn't imagine how sad her Nii-sama was. Hisana Nee-chan had been more to him than she had ever been to her, and without her beloved Nee-chan around, Byakuya-Nii was left all by himself.

Watching him carefully, Rukia felt fear and pity. She may not love her Nii-sama as she should, but she did admire him. It was hard, seeing him all alone.

"Good afternoon, Nii-sama." Rukia greeted, bowing to the floor.

She sat up and saw him nod to her, acknowledging her greeting, before her turned back to the papers he was looking over, "I've summoned you to alert you to a proposal for marriage I have received."

Rukia blinked - surprised. A marriage proposal? How strange...it wasn't strange that someone had asked to marry her Nii-sama, he was a very popular man, loved by all of the women - it was strange that he was notifying her of this.

"Nii-sama...why-"

"I've decided to accept, and I expect you to be prepared as soon as possible."

Accept? Rukia felt anger swelling in her chest. He was accepting? How dare he! Her Nee-chan was the only woman he should love, and Rukia couldn't see any other woman taking that place in their lives. But, then again...the anger melted...she had felt sorry for him, she had wanted to see him happy. If that made him happy, then who was she to deny him this chance at happiness.

As much as it bothered her...as much as it seemed a blasphemy to her Nee-chan's memory, she couldn't keep him from it. She couldn't be that selfish, even if she wanted to be.

"Of course, Nii-sama."

He nodded to her, and then went back to his papers.

After a moment, Rukia decided to speak.

"May I ask...who, Nii-sama?" She was curious - much too curious to know what woman could have possible woo'd her brother so. When Nee-chan had died, she hadn't eve imagined her Nii-sama with anyone else - his love for her had been that strong. Who could have...? It was eating away at her.

"Takiando-san, the man you met at the cherry blossom viewing last month."

Speechless, Rukia started at him, trying to piece together what she had missed. Her...her Nii-sama wasn't marrying...a man...was he? No - there was no way that he could be...well...Rukia closed her eyes, still unable to believe it.

"Takiando-san...?" Even if they were...Takiando-san was a little young for her brother - he was barely twenty...

"You didn't expect me to give your hand to a stranger?"

Everything froze. Suddenly, it became clear, and Rukia was struggling for breath. A small part of her was relieved that Nii-sama was not marrying a man, but the rest of her was shocked - it was so sudden, it was too soon...Rukia felt young - much, much too young for this, but she was of age. Her sixteenth birthday had been two weeks before that cherry blossom viewing, and now Takiando's strange eagerness to spend time with her was put into perspective.

If she had known, she would have avoided him! Rukia cursed her luck, but then again, how long could she have avoided this? Sure - avoiding men was easy...but sooner or later her Nii-sama would have just given her away. At least she knew who it was.

"Don't make such a senseless face."

Immediately, her features snapped back into the Kuchiki facade. Her insides might be churning and collapsing, but she couldn't show it on the outside. No, she was a Kuchiki - and Kuchiki's did not betray their internal emotions.

"I am sorry Nii-sama," She apologized, looking downwards, pleading with herself not to shed any shameful tears. "I am honored that you have taken the time to find me a suitor. Thank you, Nii-sama."

She felt his eyes watching her for a few moments, before her answered, "That is all."

It couldn't look at if she were running away - she had to keep herself from rushing out, from abandoning all of her pride and running like a child out to the garden - she couldn't condemn herself to her room, not now. Not when she felt like she needed to escape. Rukia, after walking slowly, painfully slowly, out of the house, ran to the one place she knew she would feel calm.

"Nee-chan."

Her fingers traced the cool, hard stone of her Nee-chan's tombstone. It laid beneath a beautiful cherry blossom tree - and everytime she came here, Rukia was reminded of her Nee-chan, and it felt like she wasn't dead anymore...that Hisana-nee was sitting right next to her, and...if she closed her eyes, Rukia could hear the soft tinkling laughter that always made her feel loved and carefree.

Distraught, Rukia collapsed in front of the tree, leaning heavily on the stone. She didn't feel like crying anymore - that had passed as sudden as it had appeared, thankfully. But, she still felt an internal turmoil that kept her from standing still - she watched her small, pale hands shake as she grasped the stone. Clenching her fingers, Rukia commanded them to stop. She was a Kuchiki...and...

She wouldn't be a Kuchiki for much longer.

"Oh, Nee-chan." She missed her Nee-chan. She missed having someone to talk to - to really talk to. Someone who could see past all of the pretenses, all of the coldness that she emitted.

_Calm down Rukia Kuchiki_, she told herself, _Relax. You must regain a hold of yourself - you need some time to reflect...some time to...mourn._

Taking a deep breath, Rukia stood up and bowed to the tombstone, before walking past the large cherry blossom tree, facing the tall stone wall of the Kuchiki garden. Untying her outer kimono, she left the heavy cloth folded neatly behind the tree, safely out of site, leaving her in her lighter under yukata. The spring breeze felt nice, and like she had done many times before, she climbed the tree and lept from one of the branches out onto another tree located outside the wall.

Finally free, Rukia managed a small smile. She had always enjoyed adventure - being able to satisfy her childish whims. She hadn't had much of a childhood...it felt good, being free like this...and she relished in it - the imminous future looming in her mind. Soon after being wedd, she would be a mother...

Huh. Rukia contemplated that - being a mother. Although she didn't mind the thought of that, she couldn't imagine Takiando as a father. He was...much too uptight, and boring. That was the worst thing about being a Kuchiki. Most of her friends, (And she used that term loosely) were unbelievably dull. Oh...Rukia slouched...she would have to be getting used to that now...

She stopped, her lamenting finally falling into place - the brunt of it was hitting her now. This was it, wasn't it? She was never going to experience more than this...her cage was getting smaller and smaller...

Horrified, Rukia let out a strangled sigh - she didn't want this to be it...there were so many things that she still wanted to see - that she wanted to do. What was she going to do now?

But...there was nothing she could do, was there? Leaning against a tree, Rukia looked to the sky - her fate was sealed - just like those clouds. They were destined to live up there their whole lives, and she too was destined to live her life as a Kuchiki...and Kuchiki's didn't marry for love...they didn't wander off into the woods, they didn't look for adventures...

"Ouch! Oi! What the hell - God_dammit_!"

Rukia blinked to herself once, before looking around. Had that been...had it...

It had come from over there...creeping slowly, Rukia looked through the trees and saw, down a small slope, the strangest head of hair she had ever seen in her life standing over a river. Granted, her life hadn't been that long, but still - she was sure that bright orange wasn't a common colour.

"Dammit!"

Ah, Rukia's eyes widened, it was a man. Then she frowned. A very poor mouthed man...and her frown deepened when she looked closer. He was covered in fresh wounds, and the source of his exclamations were the rush of pain that came with washing such horrible wounds. He must be a warrior...maybe even a samurai...Rukia crept closer, trying to get a better look at this stranger. His belongings were strewn about - blankets were shredded - he had apparently ripped them for bandages. Oooh...Rukia caught a glimpse of a pure black sword gleaming in the sunlight - and she had to admit, it was strangely beautiful. If she looked close enough she could see red blood and caked mud all over the blade.

Yes - definitely an experienced warrior...who could know how many men he had killed - how many battles that he had been in? She thought of her Nii-sama- stoic and brave, yet graceful and strong...

"Ah, damn!"

Flailing wildly, the orange haired man slipped and fell into the stream, shrieking and cursing as he was swept away in the current.

Rukia sweat-dropped. Okay. Not graceful...more like...a bumbling idiot...but, she smiled to herself, the look on his face had been pretty amusing. Sighing, Rukia began to run for the river - diving in without a second thought. Unlike the orange-haired warrior, she had known instinctively how to swim since she was very young - gliding though the thick waters like it was her second nature. She quickly made her way to where the guy was, choking and almost unconscious, and wrapped her arms around his broad chest, commanding all of the strength in her small body to haul him back to the shore.

Back-paddling, Rukia managed to drag him out before he drowned. Dumping him onto the sandy beach, Rukia smirked to herself, amused again as she watched him hack the water and debris out of his lungs.

"Are you alright?" She asked, trying not to sound too much like she was enjoying his pain.

He squinted at her though one eye, still coughing, and nodded. Taking advantage of the time, Rukia wrung her hair and sleeves out, scowling as she realized she had gotten the bottom of her yukata dirty. How was she going to explain this one?

"Thank you." He said, bringing her gaze back to him.

He was kneeling, waiting for her to look at him again, before he bowed in respect.

She waved off his formality - ignoring her Nii-sama's voice in her head, telling her to be more ladylike and stop disgracing the Kuchiki name - and responded with a small smirk, "It was my pleasure, though I was under the impression that people in this day and age knew how to swim." She had to give him some credit. He caught his scowl after a moment and simply stared at her. He had obviously been raised to treat women with respect. She frowned. How boring. Maybe this wasn't something she wanted to do.

"I don't really care for the water," He said, standing up - legs a little wobbly.

Biting her tongue, Rukia kept back a cheeky remark. He seemed to be a little sensitive, and for some strange reasons she was feeling very playful - very teasing. Hmm. She frowned for a different reason, wondering if she was more alone than she thought she was. She needed to be around more people.

"I see." She got up and began to walk back to where he had fallen in, decided to stay instead of leave.

"Oi," He followed her, walking close behind her, "Um..."

"Sit down," She instructed him, gesturing to a rock he could comfortable sit on in the shallow parts of the water.

"What are-"

"We don't want you to fall in again, do we? And," She picked at the unwinding bands of cloth around his chest, "You'll die of blood-loss with this patch-up job." And then she grimaced, seeing how terrible the wounds really were "You're going to need stitching."

He was speechless, staring at her, which allowed for her to sneak into his bag without him objecting up-front. Quickly, she found a small kit with a small amount of medical supplies, and luckily a needle and thread.

"Did you pack this?" She asked suddenly - sure that there was no way he could have thought to do it himself...he couldn't even dress his own wound, how could he know how to sow it? She pushed him to where the stone was, enjoying the cnfusion on his face.

"No - ah..." He turned a little red, "Someone packed it for me - the medical kit."

Nodding, Rukia went to removing the sopping bandages - carefully - admiring it when he didn't wince when she knew she was being too quick and too rough.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He grumbled as she was removing the last bandage, causing her to look up.

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo." He didn't look at her, which made her smile.

"Kuchiki Rukia."

She didn't feel the need to say anything more - and they fell into a comfortable silence - one which Rukia reveled in. She had never known comfortable silences...all she knew were the uncomfortable, long and painful silences that were permanently etched into the Kuchiki home. After some time, though, she had to speak again.

"You're going to need to lie down now." She had finished cleaning his wounds - and now came for the sowing.

He complied without a word, or a grimace - which earned more of her respect. Yes, she concluded, he was definitely a seasoned warrior. While she sowed, she counted all of the scars that littered his body - there weren't many, and they weren't bad - most of them only slightly silvery and very thin. Actually, his skin was surprisingly soft - when it wasn't mutilated. But thick - was his entire body muscle? She could barely push the needle through some parts, but it did get done, and Rukia was proud of herself. She had never done this much - and her work looked pretty good. Washing the wounds one more time, she dried them and applied the bandages - taking extra care to do them perfectly...and she might have been trying to show off a bit, but she would never admit to it.

"It's done." She announced after double-checking her work, offering a hand to help him up again. He took it after considering it for a moment, barely putting any of his weight on her, which made her roll her eyes. Men.

"Thank you," He replied - a small smile on his face, "I think you've saved my life twice today with this."

Laughing, Rukia packed up the small medical kit and returned it to his bag, ignoring the mess of his belongings all around them and the impulse to organize everything.

"So, Kurosaki-san," Rukia asked - brow furrowing when calling him by his formality didn't feel right - , "Where are you from and...if I may ask, where did you get these wounds?"

"Ah, Kuchiki-san," Rukia shivered. That was her sister's title, "I've never really been from anywhere - I've moved around since I was young. And these, well...I don't know if I should tell you...you might regret saving me."

"Regret saving you? What are you - an assasin?" She asked jokingly - but stopped short when he smirked in not the nicest way.

"Something like that." He stood up and began to gather his things, "I'm a thief - and if any of my comrades knew that I was telling you this, they would demand that I either kidnap you or kill you."

Rukia's heart jumped, "Are you going to do either?" She asked.

He contemplated for a moment - but Rukia caught the teasing twist in his face, "No. Come on, killing you after you saved my life? Kidnapping you? What kind of man would that make me?"

So...Rukia thought to herself, he was a thief who had honor...how backwards.

"Thank you for that, I suppose." And she leaned backwards, admiring the colour of the sky and the arrangement of the clouds. She felt warm - inside and out, knowing that she had done something good for the day.

This was her way of giving him a change to leave without feeling awkward - but he didn't, instead he fiddled around with his bag, and then with something else that she couldn't see. But she ignored it - feeling somehow comforted - somehow safe, even though she was five feet from an admitted thief. His presence was...soothing...and then her face began to burn as she realized how foolish her feelings were. She felt like a child.

Not being able resist, Rukia shifted and peeked out of the corner of her eye, trying to see what he could be doing.

"Fishing?" Her tone was more incredulous than she had meant it to be, but it slipped out before she could compose herself.

He snapped his head back to her - grinning slightly. "Yeah - I'm starving." He set up a fishing reel and arranged a net at the edge of the river, and Rukia had to stop herself from laughing right out. She had never seen anyone so ill-prepared for the wilderness - if he actually managed to catch any fish with that pitiful reel in the shallowest area of the river, he was an extremely lucky man.

Walking up to stand beside him, Rukia peered over his shoulder as he watched intently; waiting for a fish to swim into his trap.

"That's not going to work." She decided to put it bluntly - how was he ever going to survive? Rukia decided just then that he must not be a very good thief if he couldn't survive by himself. Usually thieves were resourceful - they were cunning...Watching him stare with a goofy grin on his face at the water definitely communicated he was not any of those things.

"What? Why?" He demanded, looking extrememly dissapointed.

"For so many reasons." Trying not to look to smug, Rukia dug into her sandal and pulled out her emergency yen - enough to buy food for herself whenever she needed it. "Here - and, take some fishing lessons...please." She dropped the money in front of him and turned away, knowing in her heart that she would really rather not have to go back...her expression grew sour and her happy aura dissipated - shattering all around her.

"Oi - " He suddenly appeared beside her - looking at her with concern, "Are you going to travel in the woods alone?"

His tone made Rukia bristle - "Yes - unlike some people, I can take care of myself."

"Oh," He shook his head defensively, "I don't doubt that...but..." He began to glare at her, "You might think you can take care of yourself, but the world is a dangerous place. I don't care if you don't want be to, but I'm going to make sure you get home safely. I owe you that much."

Growling, Rukia huffed, "You owe me nothing." And she turned to stalk away - perhaps her revelation about having to go home had put her in a bad mood, but she didn't want to have to be taken care of...and this thug, ah - she winced - it was wrong to call him that, this man shouldn't have to worry about her. Escpecially with those wounds.

She pretended that she couldn't hear him grumbling to himself, following after her, while she stomped through the trees, finding her way easily through the trees and bushes. She also pretended that she wasn't fighting down the sudden irrational want to stop the silence. Why on earth did she want to speak to him so badly? She was a Kuchiki, damn it...her clan was the best at its stone cold silences.

"What did you say your name was again?" He asked suddenly - and Rukia knew that he was now starting to see the large stone wall that surrounded her home. He was starting to piece things together.

"Rukia. Kuchiki Rukia." Rukia almost didn't want to tell him...she was always treated different when people knew who she was. It was that same cold indifference that she should pride herself on...unfortunately, she didn't enjoy it, nor did she enjoy receiving it. But that was the world of the nobles...the world that she was condemned to.

"Kuchiki..." She heard him say it softly to himself, but other than that he didn't say anything. He didn't stop following her and he didn't stop her and demand her to answer his questions. In fact...Rukia was shocked that he didn't kidnap her like he had threatened teasingly before. Kidnapping a Kuchiki would guarantee him and his thieving pals riches beyond what they might imagine. Not that her Nii-sama would want her back for her company...no, it would be about pride. Imagine, a man like Byakuya Kuchiki, letting his sister be taken by a vile, loathsome thief...it was almost laughable.

She stopped underneath her tree - the same one that she would be climbing to get over the wall, and spoke while she began to climb, " - her face paled and her heart stopped when she looked back at him, watching her carefully, and was momentarily side-tracked. Her fingers slipped, and she toppled backwards, her life flashing as a small yelp escaped from her throat. Eyes closed, Rukia gasped when she was caught in a pair of warm arms - warm, but hard arms that most likely bruised her shoulders and lower back. It took a few moments for her to be able to open her eyes again - and when she saw him looking down at her, a very amused expression on her face, Rukia couldn't stop the heat on her face. She blushed and flushed at the same time - unable to form any coherent words.

"Ah...I won't thank you." Rukia muttered, pushing him away from her, embarrassed that something so ridiculous had happened.

"No," He smirked, "I suppose I'm the one who should be thanking you." And Rukia was caught up in his choice of words, before she remembered herself.

"Well," She sputtered, "I guess this is goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo" and she offered him her hand - something that, as a Kuchiki, she knew that she shouldn't do but...she wanted to be able to offer him this, and damn her formalities if it meant not showing him that she really was thankful she had met him today.

He scratched the back of his head, but took her hand in his - grasping it carefully, causing Rukia to snort in an unladylike fashion.

"You're not going to break me."

He rolled his eyes, offering her his cupped hands to help her over the wall, to which she ignored and climbed the tree to her left, hefting herself to the top without any trouble.

"Goodbye, Kuchiki Rukia."

She looked down at him - and for the first time that night they really looked into each other's eyes and Rukia was mesmerized by the fire that burned in those amber orbs, causing her palms to sweat and for her to almost lose her hold on the rough tree bark. And then she dropped - dropping out of his life forever. She swallowed the hope in her chest -the hope that they might meet up again, somewhere else.

From that day on, she didn't think of it again. She went along her duties and obeyed her Nii-sama- waiting with a gloomy, anxious spirit for her wedding to descend upon her. She visited her Nee-chan almost everyday, fighting the urge to leap over the wall and run away. Rukia didn't know why, but she felt, for the first time, strange about escaping. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but...she was afraid of disappointment. She was afraid that there wasn't going to be anything exciting out there for her, and that there was going to be nothing left to look forward to.

One day, however, after a fairly taxing morning (she had gone with her Nii-sama to meet with Takiando-san and his Otou-san; they spoke about the wedding and living arrangements and such. It hadn't been the best morning, and Rukia felt her mood deteriorating...) she swallowed her fear and made her way to the tall wall, almost feeling a sense of true freedom as she landed safely on the other side.

Tacked up on the large tree she climbed down, with an arrow, was the yen that she had given to Ichigo. She wondered when she began to think of him without the formalities...when she began to think his name with such tenderness.

Fingering the money, Rukia smiled sadly to herself. So...this was the life that was laid out before her. Rukia cringed at how much she wished she could change everything, how much she wished she could leave everything behind. But, she was a Kuchiki. And it was her horrible luck - her horrid fate - that she couldn't have been born into the same world as that orange haired man, Ichigo.

"Ne, Kuchiki Rukia?"

She jumped - accidentally yanking out the arrow she had been thinking about pulling out. Her ears burned - and she couldn't stop herself from staring, slack-jawed, looking very much like a fool. He grinned at her, his flaming eyes still the same as she remembered.

"Are you ready to thank me yet?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>End Chapter One<strong>_


	2. Chapter 2

**Paper Wings II**

**_Begin Chapter Two:_**

* * *

><p>"What the hell is <em>that<em>?"

Rukia clenched her fingers into a fist, trying very hard to suppress the urge to hit him. It was strange…she had been feeling more and more inclined to violence since she had begun her odd friendship with the thief known as Kurosaki Ichigo. Not that she particularly minded, but – sometimes it reared its ugly head in places that it shouldn't. Like when her betrothed (She cringed at the term) arrived at her home early in the morning to invite her to spend the day with him, and she had no choice but to accept (one could only fake sickness so many times before they were found out) and had to listen to him prattle about such dim things while they rode to whatever area he had chosen for them that day.

Mostly, though, it showed when she was with Ichigo – there was something about him that had all of her perfectly set walls of calmness and self-control - crumbling down around her, leaving everything that she thought had frozen long ago bare and slowly thawing out. Like her short, wicked temper and violence. Things that, if her Nii-sama knew about, would mean being sent away for a very long, very strenuous season of re-learning how to act as a proper Kuchiki with her distant relatives - the same people who had taught her Nii-sama.

The last time she had went, she had been eleven and had made friends with some of the children in the area. Her Nii-sama hadn't approved of her choice of comrades...well, she wondered what he would do if he found out about her latest friend, and the influence he was on her.

"It's a rabbit!" Rukia turned slightly and glared up at the orange-haired thief who was was lazing in the sun across the top of the Kuchiki wall, wishing that he would fall off.

"What?" He demanded, squinting, "No way - it looks more like a pig."

"A pig?" Rukia had to fight to keep her enraged shriek down to sub-sonic levels. It was a nice morning in the very back of the Kuchiki gardens, and it would be a definite downer if the guards came running to her rescue and Ichigo had to escape his death. Actually, at the moment, with him irritating her so, she considered setting the dogs on him. "You..." She almost let a curse slip past her lips, but reigned it down in time. Instead, she threw a dirty paintbrush into his face was deadly accuracy.

"Pfft," Ichigo snorted, wiping off the black paint with a glare, "Sorry your Highness, I didn't mean to accidentally offend your horrible, deformed drawings." his sarcastic mutter caused Rukia to smile slightly to herself. She hadn't realized how much she missed being around real people who didn't treat her like she was a member of a noble house...Ichigo didn't seem to care about that at all. In fact, he teased her for it more often than he respected her for it. He was real...which made her feel more real in return.

"Watch it," Rukia murmured, her voice laced with less anger than she had wanted, "Or I'll draw a portrait of _you_."

"Oi," Rukia expected another sarcastic or witty remark - or at the very least a threat. That was usually how their time spent together went, but instead he seemed to be in a conversational mood today. Odd, but it didn't really matter. Ichigo was Ichigo, whether he was yelling, teasing or just yapping like an old woman.

"When's that suitor of yours coming by today?"

They didn't especially talk about that part of her life - any time it came up, Rukia was usually complaining about Takiando-san and his antics.

Immediately, Rukia's mood darkened, being reminded that Takiando-san would be coming to whisk her away...and she would have to plaster a small smile on her face and pretend that she was having a wonderful time - when really, she was contemplating using Ichigo and his less-than-noble occupation to her advantage. Takiando-san wouldn't be a probable suitor if he didn't have the near limitless fortune and high social standing that her Nii-sama would look for in a match.

"Near midlight." Rukia grumbled, turned her head to gaze at the sun - wishing that it would just stay put where it was and let her be free for as long as she wanted. Her life was so strange at the moment – on one side, Rukia was downcast; terrified about the future and the cage that she was going to be shoved into before she even had a chance to live - on the other side, however, her fleeting moments of joy were more powerful than she could imagine. Ichigo had a way of making her laugh - of helping her to survive the Kuchiki cold that had set in years ago.

What was she going to do with herself after she was married?

Immediately, Rukia pushed the thought out of her head - she didn't have to think about that now.

"Jeez." Ichigo muttered, "He's a real annoying bastard, isn't he?"

Not wanting to appear too malicious, Rukia just sighed. She agreed with Ichigo...but that didn't mean that she would bad-talk another person behind their back...not that she didn't want to, she did, but it seemed too dark; too...Ichigo. Not that Ichigo was a bad person - he was just more free with his emotions than Rukia was.

She wasn't sure if she was envious of that fact, or relived it was true.

"Do you have to spend time with him?"

Rukia put down her brush and turned to look at Ichigo, a small smirk on her face, "Yes, Ichigo. I've declined the past four invitations he's sent me, remember?" He should remember - he was the one who practically ordered her to decline, and they had spent the days by the river. Rukia had tried to teach Ichigo how to swim...it hadn't worked out too well for either of them. Rukia had ended up frustrated and insulted, while Ichigo had ended up embarrassed and pout-y. Sometimes Rukia couldn't believe how much of a child he was.

"Damn! Today's going to be so _boring_!" Ichigo's face fell into a pout again, and Rukia laughed to herself, but it was flat laughter. In the back of her mind, she was thinking about how much she wished she could decline again...but she couldn't. She wouldn't. And Ichigo was just going to have to find something else to do.

As long she wasn't being forced to go anywhere, what was wrong with amusing him and herself?

"Ichigo...would you like to try?" She offered him a canvas and brushes, grinning when he turned to glare at her, his eyes immediately saying no, but she knew that he would give it up eventually. As always, she was right, and after grumbling to himself, he slipped down behind her Nee-chan's blossoming tree and began to run the brush softly against the canvas.

Rukia watched him out of the corner of her eye, surprised at how he seemed to know what he was doing. Had he done this before?

"My mother used to paint for us..." he explained after she had asked, his back hiding his face, "She would take me and my sisters out, teaching us how to properly hold the brush."

Rukia didn't have to ask; the ache in Ichigo's voice relayed it perfectly. His mother was someone he loved very much...and she was gone. It was a tone that Rukia knew well – she had heard it ringing in voice when her Nii-chan had passed away. Rukia didn't bring it up again - there might be a day that they shared those types of deep things with one another, but that was not today.

The sun moved too fast in the sky, and before Rukia knew it, she was being summoned back to the courtyard; Takiando-san had arrived for her.

"Goodbye," Rukia murmured as Ichigo disappeared over the wall, just in time, as it was. Takiando-san had become impatient waiting for her, and had come to retrieve her himself. Rukia greeted him with the proper amount of abashment, trying to hide her intense irritation, smile a little stiff. "Hello, Takiando-san." She refused to greet him more familiarly than that - he had attempted to persuade her to do so, but she outright refused. She might have felt a little horrid about it, if she knew that he didn't look at her as if she was just a royal-blooded, social-status boosting, child-bearing Kuchiki. Rukia had to admit, thought, he might love her. He might cherish her but...that wasn't enough for her. The way he treated her was almost too caring; too sweet.

Just as she thought this, he stepped forward to wipe her bang back into the rest of her hair, talking to her in a soft voice, "We're meeting with my Otou-sama and your Nii-sama today, Hime."

Rukia scowled - unable to stop herself. "Well then, let's be on our way Takiando-san." And get it over with.

She hoped that the meeting wouldn't last long - but her instinct was telling her to prepare herself to be seated and still for a long while. Her instinct was correct, it turned out, as she sat a half-an-hour later, trying not to fidget while listening to the old, slow voice of Takiando-sama, the honourable father of her suitor. They had spoken of the future, and about the history of their family; now doubt trying once again to impress Nii-sama, something that they shouldn't bother with. Rukia rolled her eyes discreetly. Nii-sama wasn't impressed by such things, and neither was she.

Finally, the conversation took a turn towards something Rukia could pay attention to- the date of her and Takiando's wedding.

"We've taken into consideration your previous anxiousness to get married," Takiando-sama said slowly and Rukia felt panic welling inside of her - that wasn't anxiousness to get married, she wanted to say, that was anxiousness to not be married - the want to be free. "The date has been changed. You will be wed the day after tomorrow."

The day after tomorrow. The day after tomorrow. The day after tomorrow. It rang in Rukia's head like a funeral dirge. Her stomach churned and her throat closed up; she had been counting on her engagement continuing on for months, and if she played her cards right, maybe years - but her trial was set now. Her prison was created, and she could see it looming ever closer. Somehow, she managed not to show her panic, not to lose all of her self-control and yell and scream like she felt like doing. Instead, she took it all - locking up her emotions inside her, just like a true Kuchiki. Her Nii-sama would have been proud.

She hadn't been able to completely concentrate on the rest of the meeting - her Nii-sama and Takiando-sama had finalized the plans, leaving Rukia and Takiando-san to themselves. Rukia had been too shocked to bother responding to his many attempts at holding a conversation - he was lucky she didn't express her internal maelstrom physically, there were plenty of samurai swords decorating the room for her to take care of her problems permanently. It had taken too long, much, much too long in her opinion for her Nii-sama to finally announce that they were leaving. Distracted and distant, Rukia barely managed a nod goodbye. She didn't even flinch or grimace when her Nii-sama reprimanded her for such behaviour when Takiando-san had momentarily left then to gather the horses.

Her mind was wrung - spinning so fast Rukia couldn't pay attention to what she was going - where she was going. She just wanted to go home and try to get her world back upright. She wanted to see her Nee-chan; she wanted to close her eyes and pretend that everything was just a horrible dream, and surprisingly, she wanted to see -

Rukia was suddenly very aware of her surroundings; dragged out of the darkness of her mind roughly and suddenly, giving her a headache, but be knew what was happening. She was leaving Takiando-sama's with her Nii-sama; Takiando-san was catching up to them - he stood next to her, grasping her arm gently.

And she was also hallucinating.

Nii-sama and Takiando-san were walking on either side of her, guiding her to the horses, but there was something wrong...Ichigo seemed to walking towards her - up the long path to Takiando-sama's and he was grinning a her with a look the devil himself would have approved of. Rukia stared back - shocked, her mouth going dry. Takiando-san stiffened, no doubt in reaction to the wicked look on Ichigo's face.

Was he...was he going to kidnap her?

It seemed like it had been so long ago that Ichigo had teased her about it - just teased, because Ichigo was honourable - too honourable to not repay for her saving him life. At the time, Rukia had been relived - glad that she wouldn't fall victim to him; but that day hadn't been the day before her wedding - before her cage dropped into place, trapping her for life. Without any consideration, without any second thought - only her immediate and most irrational emotions raging inside her, Rukia realized in astonishment that she wanted Ichigo to kidnap her.

It seemed so easy...just a small step away...Rukia stared at Ichigo was a hopeful look, breath hitching and heart galloping.

Then, the want to be stolen away finally landed in her stomach with a resounding thud, and Rukia realized that she was insane. What was she thinking? She began to struggle; kicking and squirming, she didn't care if she hurt him. When his iron-grip didn't loosen, she resorted to biting him, and it was then he seemed to acknowledge her existence.

"Ow! You stupid chibi! What the hell?" His offending appendage was quickly removed from her mouth, allowing her to begin to yell.

"Put me down, right now Ichigo!" She tried to make herself sound threatening. When Ichigo didn't hesitate in answer, "No way, Hime." she realized she might as well have been telling him to stop making fun of her drawings. He wasn't ever going to listen to her.

"Ichigo."

This tactic was less obvious than the first one - she was going to try something she had never done before. She was going to talk nice. "Please, Ichigo -stop this." With much chagrin, Rukia realized her voice sounded so pathetic...and thought that she would rather stick to yelling. To her amazement, however, Ichigo stiffened, the horse's path swayed slightly - and Rukia hoped that she was finally getting through to him. The horses steady gallop was starting to make her feel sick - considering she was laying stomach first on Ichigo's knees, the jostling and pounding was going to make her sore in the morning.

"Ichigo." She said his name one more time, and finally the horse slowed - slowly enough for her to wriggle out of his grasp and slip harmlessly onto the grass.

"Oi!" Ichigo yelled, jumping off after her, "Don't run away!"

Snorting, Rukia crossed her arms, stepping towards him to glare more menacingly, "I'm not going to run away," she growled. He reached for her once more, and she slapped his forehead, pushing him away. "What the hell are you doing?" Her demand was a shriek - she couldn't stop herself. She was infuriated - and embarrassed at having been hauled away in front of her Nii-sama like she had been.

This time, Ichigo snorted, mimicking her movements as he crossed his arms, "I'm kidnapping you, stupid. You're coming with me and my gang; tonight we're leaving this land - at first light we'll be gone."

Something deep inside Rukia shifted painfully - Ichigo was leaving? Of course she knew what he was saying was impossible - she couldn't go with him. Since the day they had met, Rukia had known that their friendship was numbered - for so many reasons. She was engaged - she belonged to another man, and after the wedding, she wouldn't be able to sneak away as she did under her Nii-sama's semi-protective gaze. Also, because Ichigo was a thief - a wanted man, and a nomad above all else. Rukia had been surprised he had stuck around so long - months must have seemed like forever to him.

Their meeting had defied all natural laws - all social laws - it was all wrong.

But, it had felt so right.

"I can't." Rukia said quietly, shaking her head, "I'm...I'm a Kuchiki; I just can't abandon my title!"

Ichigo's face flashed with shock, confusion, and then disgust finally rested on his features, "You know, Rukia, I can't understand it - you loathe that bastard; you hate everything about being a Kuchiki - but you still follow every rule, go along with every whim of that master of yours like a damn _puppy_!"

"It's my duty!" Rukia gasped, outraged that he would say such a thing, "I was born here, born as a Kuchiki, raised as a Kuchiki and expected to live as Kuchiki, and that is all I will ever be! I can't just run away from the things I dislike because I _want_ to!" Kami, if she could do that she would have done it ages ago.

He looked just as infuriated as she felt; his next words were spit with such venom, that Rukia almost recoiled under the heat, "So you're just going to wait around to marry him? To live and die unhappy?"

His angry questions ruffled her pain from earlier, reminding her that Rukia wasn't going to be single as long as she had wanted to be. He saw the pain ripple across her face - confusion blossomed slightly in his hard gaze.

"Ichigo," Rukia refused to let her emotions best her, but she didn't know how to tell him what was wrong without going into another rage or breaking down completely. "Ichigo..." She said again, quieter, "Tomorrow...tomorrow..." Dear Kami! Rukia clenched her hands into tight fists, furious with herself, why couldn't she say it? It shouldn't be difficult, this was the truth! This was something that she was eventually going to have to come to terms with...Rukia shuddered. She was going to have to come to terms with it before tomorrow.

"You're getting married." He said it bluntly, and hearing the words out loud stole Rukia's breath away and caused a fresh sheen of tears to flood her eyes, threatening to fall and officially label herself as a coward.

"How do you know?" Rukia whispered, horrified and tearful.

He didn't answer immediately, something that worried Rukia. Ichigo never had problems saying anything - he was crude and blunt and loud-mouthed, hardly ever holding in what he wanted to say. Her intuition flashed briefly, and she realized it was probably something he didn't want to admit to. Like watching her carefully, or even having someone from his pack of thieves watching her for him. It should have worried her that he would put so much effort into knowing her, but it didn't. Instead, Rukia just felt hollow - she had felt too much in one day, too much grief, horror, chagrin, and even earlier in the day, happiness.

"Ichigo." She didn't know what to say - she didn't know what she was going to do. No...actually, that was the one thing she did know. She was going to be married, and then locked away until her dying day. Rukia felt like cursing again, but what use was it? This was her life...she was a Kuchiki...

"I am a Kuchiki," Rukia said again, feebly, trying to make him understand the level of devotion she held to her clan.

His eyes were still dark, "Yeah," he said sourly, "A damn Kuchiki."

Feeling even emptier than she had before, Rukia gave up. She wasn't willing to fight with him anymore - she couldn't put up with the emotions that it took to try and make him understand; to try and make herself understand. She turned after a moment, not bothering to say goodbye. It was too much for her.

"I'll offer it one more time," Ichigo began softly, "We leave tonight, before dawn. I won't wait for you." And then the horse began to gallop away, leaving Rukia to her misery.

She didn't cry - Rukia had never been an emotional girl. The last time she had shed tears was when her Nee-chan had passed away, leaving her to the cold, hard world all alone. Since that day, she had never felt the need to cry; all her warm, human tears had frozen up behind her eyes, and turned into cool, cobalt ice. But damn that Ichigo - his warmth and fiery disposition...he had changed all that.

Rukia didn't cry. But she wanted to.

She wanted to forget everything and fall into a well of tears -

No! She wanted to be strong, she wanted to survive -

Her Kuchiki pedigree raged against these very new, very troubling emotions, and with neither side managing a victory, Rukia simply felt strangled. Nii-sama had posted his guards; circling a wide radius of the Kuchiki castle, meaning that it wasn't long before Rukia, wandering aimlessly in the forest, was found and brought back to her home. Nii-sama hadn't greeted her; she had received a warm and satisfied welcome though one of his servants, before being escorted back to her room.

How fitting for him...how Kuchiki.

Rukia's respect for the title was dwindling, and she found herself cursing Ichigo again.

Her room had never felt so cold - so empty - so pointless. Rukia sat down in front of her Nee-chan's shrine: a large painting with burning incense. How Rukia longed to flee from her cold room and visit her Nee-chan's resting place in the garden, but leaving her room now would not be permitted. Sneaking out was her last resort - she would do it only if she absolutely had to. But, Rukia told herself to be strong; she couldn't rely on her Nee-chan forever, and today was an excellent day to begin gleaning of off her own strength.

After all - starting after tomorrow, Rukia was going to be on her own forever.

The thought had her teeth clamping down against her lip in agonizing panic; in something akin to fear. And then there was her sadness. A great sorrow had taken hold of her soul - taken hold before she had known what was truly happening. There was pain - worse than the seemingly all powerful pain of her fear. It hurt, and she didn't know what to do with herself. No comfort came with time - the hours dragged on, the night fell upon her - leaving her in the darkness, and Rukia felt more like a prisoner than ever. And then, she couldn't stop herself from calling out to her Nee-chan.

"Hisana-Nee."

Her Nee-chan had been so happy; Rukia now wondered how that had been possible. How had Hisana-Nee managed to live, smiling and happy in this Kuchiki dungeon? Then again, Rukia rationalized, her Nee-chan hadn't been trapped like Rukia was going to be. Hisana-Nee and Nii-sama had married out of love.

The seconds ticked by in silence; slowly, Rukia's eyes widened. Nee-chan hadn't married Nii-sama because she was a noble who had to - her Nee-chan had come from a poor family, from a lower social status...and Nii-sama had married against his family's wishes. Her own Nii-sama hadn't lived by the Kuchiki laws as Rukia herself had.

Suddenly, everything Rukia had once taken for granted began to dissolve away - with an almost audible snap, Rukia felt her consciousness re-awaken and her feet stretched out beneath her, almost toppling herself over with the force that she stood up with. Her legs carried her halfway out the door, before she paused, reconsidering herself.

The note she left behind explained her true feelings to her Nii-sama, how she refused to be part of something she didn't truly care for. She told her Nii-sama that, regardless of how he might feel about her, she still loved and admired him - but she wasn't who she was pretending to be, and she was tired of keeping up with the facade. She apologized for being more like her Nii-sama than he had ever hoped.

That part had put a small, half-smile on Byakuya Kuchiki's face when he read it in the morning - knowing that it was true, and that his beloved wife's little sister was happy. And because of this small decision, he was freed form the promise he had made his family; to always uphold the Kuchiki law. Rukia could be free now - and he hoped with all his heart that she would never be forced to come back again.

She was a Kuchiki, but she was also Rukia. And unlike the Kuchiki's, Rukia didn't want to marry for convenience. No, she wanted something a little more adventurous - something that was perhaps as binding as an arranged marriage, but not as suffocating. Something that her beloved Nee-chan and stoic Nii-sama had found, and taken for themselves, regardless of the consequences.

Her heart jumped and picked up triple time as she stole her way to the garden, pausing at her Nee-chan's grave before leaping up the tree and over the wall.

"Sorry, Nee-chan." She regretted having to leave her Nee-san this way, but she still wouldn't change it. "Thank you."

The sun was peeking across the tops of the trees, cascading across the forest floor; Rukia anticipated pain. She hadn't even bothered to use the tree for her climb down, she was too rushed and disoriented from her epiphany to think of it - but it turned out she didn't have to worry about it.

Warm arms wrapped around her middle, catching her safely before her feet came anywhere close to the ground. Her mind didn't struggle long to figure out what was happening. Had he been waiting for her all night? Elated, Rukia wondered if she had been right in thinking what she was looking for would be less suffocating - at the moment she felt like she wouldn't ever be able to breathe properly again. Gazing upwards, she met his face - smiling when she finally got a good look at him. His eyes were warm - the fire was simmering, moving slowly - like lava - a slow burn that instantly warmed her not so frosty heart (not lately, anyway). Immediately, all of her fears and worries; her insecurities about her decision, melted away.

"I thought you said you weren't going to wait for me, Kurosaki Ichigo." She teased as he set her down, releasing all of her but her small hand, which he kept encased in his own.

"Heh," He grinned, "I guess I lied, Kuchiki Rukia."

Rukia shook her head, still smiling, "Not Kuchiki; not anymore. Just Rukia."

* * *

><p><strong><em>End.<em>**


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